Chapter 2 - Part 4 - Qualities And Drawbacks - Section D
Demon (Chaos) 16-POINT QUALITY Not a lot is known about Chaos Demons. Thus, what you read here is basically a lot of educated guesswork (but very well educated guesswork, if you please). Still, if a Vengeance Demon can become the ally of Slayer, why couldn't a Chaos Demon? Chaos Demons gain +3 Strength, +2 Dexterity, and +3 Constitution. Natch, they also have the Chaos Power. With all the slime and antlers, they have an Appearance of -4 (we are going to say Cast Member Chaos Demons aren't quite so repulsive as others of their race). They seem to fill a sort of metaphysical niche, so we assume that they are Immortal. One of the distinguishing things about a Chaos Demon is its rack of Antlers. These are Natural Weapons that do 3 x Strength Slash/stab damage. The other distinguishing mark of a Chaos Demon is all of that slime. Apart from dampening perfectly good suits, the slime grants the demon a +3 to all Dodge rolls. Judging from the one Chaos Demon that appeared on the show, they seem to be pretty relaxed and easy-going. Why shouldn't they? They serve chaos and all systems tend towards chaos. Everything falls apart - all they have to do is wait. That's probably why they are so nonchalant. Still, every little bit helps and some probably like to roam around the world and add their private little touches of chaos when they can. The hands-on approach is more fun anyway. Depending on how fast you wish to have the Chaos Power work, this might be their first line of defense. Having a Chaos Demon as part of the Cast can be a real challenge and the Chaos Power could easily overpower a Series. Don't say we didn't warn you. The limiting factor will be the Chaos Demon's agenda. Disrupting the Master's plan to open the Hellmouth might be part of the overall Chaos agenda; then again, making sure that Dawn fulfills her destiny as the Key might also be part of that agenda. If a Chaos Demon is part of the Cast, it should be like Spike during the latter half of Season Four: the Cast would never be sure of where its loyalties truly lie. The demon could be constantly receiving orders from the Courts of Chaos on the far end of the multiverse (assuming such a body exists in your world). Whether or not she is engaged in a war with opposing forces on the other end of the multiverse, perhaps fighting under a Unicorn banner, is entirely up to you. Demon (Deathwok) 8- OR 10-POINT QUALITY Lorne's native dimension, Pylea, is populated by demons and their human slaves. Pylean demons come in several varieties. One of them is the Deathwok Clan - green-skinned, horned demons with reddish eyes. There may be more than one clan among the green-skinned types but we only know about the Deathwok, so for now, that's what we will call them. Pylean demons have a medieval society, with a few magical gadgets (Capture Bolas, Slave Collars). They usually don't come to Earth, or they didn't until very recently, the one exception being our favorite Host, Lorne. Since Angel and company visited Pylea and upset its social order though, it's likely more natives may decide to pay Earth a visit. The Deathwok are a warrior clan, very concerned with honor and bravery in battle. Humans are considered to be no better than cattle and below any consideration, which doesn't make them popular at most social gatherings on Earth. Deathwok Clan demons appear to be slightly stronger and tougher than humans. They can survive being beheaded, although if their bodies are mutilated after decapitation they die. They also appear to have no artistic talent - there's no music in their world and their dancing is just horrible (even if one of the show's creators is doing it). The demons do have innate supernatural senses - they use it to track auras or to tell fortunes, depending on their inclinations. Deathwok Clan demons could be Cast Members in some games. Lorne's example shows they can get past their cultural prejudices and stereotypes. On the other hand, their outlandish appearance makes it difficult for them to fit in on Earth (still Lorne seems to manage somehow). Deathwok demons get +2 to Strength and Constitution and Hard to Kill 3. They also gain Supernatural Senses (Insight) (5 points). On the down side they have the Supernatural Form (Definitely Not Human) (-2 points) and Talentless (-2 points) Drawbacks. Their ability to survive beheadings is not really worth any points - everything else seems to kill them normally. Total cost to play one of these green wonders is eight points, or ten if the Talentless Drawback is removed (i.e., in Lorne's case). Demon (Gri'ah) 14-POINT QUALITY These demons were once a servitor race created by a powerful Demon Lord to serve as its assassins and bodyguards. Their original name is gone and forgotten, repressed by the overlord to reinforce their dependent status. For millennia, they served their master well, fighting demon wars across dozens of dimensions and patrolling those worlds to "keep the peace." Then came the Great Betrayal, when Gri'ah struck down the master and by his actions gave his name to his race. In the subsequent upheaval, the Gri'ah were nearly exterminated. The master's other troops did not trust them (not surprisingly) and the conquered populations had no love for their former oppressors. The survivors can be found in the service of assorted demon cults. Most Gri'ah are like Japanese ronin, masterless warriors who would do anything to find someone to serve. Others are more independent and refuse to serve anybody but themselves. Gri'ah can look human and shift forms at will. Their real shape is humanoid with dark blue skin and glowing red eyes. When stressed, they usually revert to their normal form, although they can resist this urge with a Willpower (doubled) roll. In either form, they are stronger, faster, and tougher than humans, and fairly hard to kill. Gri'ah enjoy a +3 bonus to Strength and Constitution, and a +2 bonus to Dexterity. They gain Regeneration (Per minute), two levels of Hard to Kill, and one level of Increased Life Points. The Demon (Gri'ah) Quality totals 14 points. Demon (Miquot Clan) 6-POINT QUALITY The Miquot Clan is a good example of a demon warrior race. They are a primitive race with yellow skin and stegosaurus-looking plates running over the top of their heads (Attractiveness -4). They are powerful fighters who get +3 Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. They are also not the greatest minds in this world or any other; they suffer -1 Intelligence, Perception, and Willpower. As distinctive as looking like a yellow dinosaur in a leather outfit might be, the really distinguishing thing about the Miquot Clan is their ability to draw bony knives from their wrists. These knives do a base damage of 3 x Strength Slash/stab. Being strong and stupid means that they are probably popular as demon foot soldiers in those other-dimensional wars that we are always hearing about. Having the Honorable Drawback is not out of the question (and probably reasonably common), so under the right circumstances the Cast Members might find themselves aligned with a spiny-looking head-thing guy. A Miquot Demon could even become Not Quite So Dim (that's what character points are for after all), but its Mental Attributes can never be raised above four. Any race with that kind of mental handicap will usually overcome it with a high birthrate. Miquot Clan demons probably hatch from a huge nest of eggs, enjoy a very brief childhood, and are then sent to make their way in the world in some hunter/gatherer rite of passage sort of thing. This might even be how a Miquot demon could join the Cast - by killing a mutual baddie in an attempt to become a true warrior. Demon (Mok'Tagar) 37-POINT QUALITY The Mok'Tagar are a race of interdimensional travelers who appear as skinless humanoids with ratlike teeth and glowing eyes (Attractiveness -6 in demon form). They can take the form of the dominant race of whatever plane they are visiting (for those in the back, that means when on Earth, they can look human). The Mok'Tagar gain +5 Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. They also enjoy +2 Intelligence, Perception, and Willpower. As interdimensional travelers and scouts, Constitution and Perception are usually the first Attributes to be raised with character points. Since they do travel to other worlds, the Dimensional Travel Power is an ability shared by all members of this race. Another quality shared by all members of this race is a complete lack of a soul, which is reflected by the fact that all Mok'Tagar start out with at least Mental Drawback (Mild Cruelty). They are also extremely long-lived and are not even considered true adults until they reach 1000 years of age. Mok'tagar also have Immortality and can Regenerate a number of Life Points equal to their Constitution Level per hour. Some or all Mok'tagar (at your discretion) know soulsucking magic rituals that involve scorpions and pouring animal blood down the victim's throat. Other powers can be bought by the Mok'Tagar, but these are not part of the racial package. Sorcery is probably at least as common among the Mok'Tagar as it is among humans. Any Mok'Tagar that becomes a part of the Cast is more than likely one of the younger and less powerful members of the race. Any Mok'Tagar less than 1000 years old must take the Teenager Drawback (being older than the United States doesn't count for much if someone still looks 14). Playing a Mok'Tagar can be very expensive, but they can be used to fill that important Cordelia/Anya niche in the group dynamic. You always need at least one Cast Member who is straightforward, not necessarily nice, and does not automatically go along with whatever the others say. Demon (Oden Tal) These transdimensional demons look mostly humanoid, except for facial and back ridges. Females have two ridges running down their cheeks and a central one down their back. Males have four ridges down their forehead. Male Oden Tal (known as Vigories) are slightly stronger than normal humans but apparently have no other powers. The females are a different story. Emotions and passions among the Oden Tal originate on their spinal ridge, known as the Ko. In their dimension, women have their Ko removed, turning them into pliable zombies with no emotions or willpower. Oden Tal females who escape this fate can project enormous amounts of heat. This power is difficult to control at first, requiring immersion in ice or cold water. At the same time that their heat powers are out of control, Oden Tal females exude sexual ÒvibesÓ that men find difficult to ignore. The combination is quite deadly for humans. Male humans looking at an inexperienced Oden Tal female must make a Willpower (doubled) roll with a -2 penalty plus any Attractiveness bonuses of the female. On a failure, they feel irresistibly attracted to her; their reaction varies from person to person - from clumsy pick-up attempts to actual assault. If they touch the girl, they take 50 points of Fire damage every Turn they remain in contact. Mature Oden Tal control the attraction effect, and if they want to use it purposely, the penalty to Willpower rolls is equal to their Brains Score Success Level plus their Attractiveness bonuses. They can use their heat power in focused effects, inflicting 50 points of Fire and Bash damage. Mature Oden Tal females can become deadly martial artists; combined with their heat powers, they are fearsome opponents. In their native dimension though, females are universally crippled through the removal of their Ko. A few have managed to flee to Earth. Female Oden Tal 21-POINT QUALITY Female Oden Tal get +1 to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. They have +2 Attractiveness (costs 4 to over come Supernatural Form Drawback; additional levels can be purchased normally), Emotional Influence (4 points), and a Supernatural Attack (Deadly, 50 points of damage; 15 points). They also have Drawbacks of Supernatural Form (Definitely Not Human) (-2 points) and Vulnerability (Ko can be removed, destroying their self-will, -3 points). This combination makes the Demon (Female Oden Tal) Quality worth 21 points. Male Oden Tal 1-POINT QUALITY Male Oden Tal get +1 to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. They also the Supernatural Form (Definitely Not Human) Drawback with its -2 Attractiveness (-2 points). The total cost is one point. Demon (Tarrack Daemonling) 7-POINT QUALITY The Tarrack are a hybrid human-demon race, most commonly found in places torn by war and civil strife. The True Tarrack are drawn to death and killing; they feed on negative emotions. How they came to Earth is not clear, but once here, they found conflict and bloodshed in plenty. Some of them also like to mate with human women and the result is Daemonlings - children that look perfectly human, but possesses their father's supernatural strength and love for violence. Most of these demonic offspring lead short and brutal lives. Their supernatural nature manifests when they are in their late teens. This leads to violent outbursts and lawlessness. In the beginning, this behavior can be excused as normal teenage rebellion. But it quickly becomes extreme and can't be addressed through meaningful talks and regular discipline. As a result few Tarrack make it into adulthood (even if incarcerated they usually get themselves killed making trouble in prison). Those that live in lawless and violent societies (which, given who their parents are, is not that unlikely) tend to survive the longest, but even the nasty, brutish, and short life is the rule. Tarrack Daemonlings gain a +5 bonus to Strength and a +3 bonus to Constitution. They have a two-point Antisocial Impulses (Violence) Drawback (this can be increased to the full three-point value, reducing the value of this Demon Quality to six points) and Regeneration (Per hour). The Demon (Tarrack Daemonling) Quality totals seven points. Demon (Vengeance) 50-POINT QUALITY If your character hurts intensely enough and retaliates in a particularly vicious manner (particularly using magic), D'Hoffryn and his coterie just might offer her a position as a Vengeance Demon. If she accepts, D'Hoffryn gives her a pendant that acts as the focus of her powers. As always in the Buffyverse, with great power comes great angst, so she should consider her options carefully. Vengeance Demons get +3 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, and +1 Willpower. They also get three levels of Hard to Kill (additional levels up to ten may be paid for separately). Their true form is a veiny-faced demon, but they can assume their original human form at will. Vengeance Demons gain the Immortal, Regeneration (Constitution Life Points per Turn), Teleport and Wish abilities for free. They can also detect the presence of intense grief, suffering, and loss within a number of miles equal to their Constitution, and travel freely to Arashmaharr (where D'Hoffryn resides) and back. Some Vengeance Demons are cruel, some are honorable, but all of them are obsessed. All Vengeance Demons take a special form of the Obsession Drawback that determines the type of vengeance they dish out. Anyanka concentrates on Scorned Women; Halfrek on Ignored and Abandoned Children. If Willow had accepted D'Hoffryn's offer, she would have probably become the Demon Of Those Abandoned By Their Friends. This Obsession helps define their Teleport ability and limit their Wish power. Vengeance Demons can move to any location that contains someone suffering according to their Obsession. Their Wish power only works for such a sufferer as well but it can be used in world-altering ways (thus creating a parallel dimension and raising all kinds of metaphysical issues that we are going to avoid like the plague here). Vengeance Demons also suffer a Major Obligation to D'Hoffryn and the Lower Beings. This isn't necessarily a life-threatening Obligation, but it is one of obedience and expectation. D'Hoffryn and the other Vengeance Demons look for a certain level of commitment and "production" from those in their circle. A Vengeance Demon who does not regularly "work" vengeance or who consistently uses her powers for outside purposes can quickly find herself branded a "troublemaker." The real kicker though is when D'Hoffryn takes one or more of her powers away as punishment. Finally, a Vengeance Demon may be called upon at any given moment to aid D'Hoffryn. The Vengeance Demon's Wish power is pretty broad, but its manifestations on the BtVS show suggest certain limitations. The wish must be made by another party suffering according to the demon's obsession and it must be a spoken statement that begins with the phrase "I wish." The granter can certainly make suggestions or try to steer a conversation to things the victim might wish different, but the actual wish statement has to come from the sufferer's mouth. The Wish granter can choose when it goes into affect, but only has "interpretive" powers over its actual manifestation. For example, wishing someone was a "frog" could result in an amphibian or a French person. Wishing someone would "get what they deserve" leaves it pretty much up to the Vengeance Demon (or you could outlaw that and require the demon to get a more specific statement). Finally, it may be that the demon must switch to her true form and say "Done!" before the Wish starts (but that might just be the style adopted by some Vengeance Demons). The Wish may be ended by the granter revoking it, by her power source (the pendant) being destroyed, or by any other fiendish manner you might set. Doing any lasting damage to a Vengeance Demon is difficult unless her pendent is destroyed. This results in a loss of all demon powers and being turned back into a mere human. Attribute bonuses are taken away and Hard to Kill levels over five are lost. D'Hoffryn considers being a Vengeance Demon a gift. Anyone careless enough to lose the pendant doesn't deserve the gift anymore. This doesn't need to be permanent, though. Anya only had to be human for about three years before D'Hoffryn returned her demonic powers. Demon Hunter 4-POINT QUALITY In a world where monstrous entities prey on humankind, your character has chosen the role of a hunter. Maybe vampires sired his sister, or demons ravaged his neighborhood (and the authorities wrote it off), or he simply stumbled across some supernatural vileness and can't let it go. Whatever the reason, he has dedicated his life to the a fight against the forces of darkness. He has trained and prepared and is ready to do what must be done. Demon Hunters are normal men and women, but after some time fighting demons and vampires, they start picking up certain skills and abilities. They get +1 to any three Attributes (the bonuses cannot stack on the same Attribute; as usual, the bonuses cannot increase a human being's Attributes above six). Additionally, they get a +1 bonus to any two combat-oriented skills (Gun Fu, K ung Fu, or Getting Medieval) and +1 to the Occultism Skill. On the down side, a hunter worth his crossbow makes enemies fast. These characters gain a one-point Adversary (to be defined) even if they are just starting out. This Drawback can be raised to reflect a hunter who has been around the demon block a few times and has more of a rep. Furthermore, these types find it very hard to work with anybody who has any hint of the supernatural. A witch might be okay, but for most of them, a demon is a demon, and the only good demon is a dead demon. This takes the form of a Mental Problem (Mild Delusion - all supernatural beings are evil). Higher values of the Drawback can be taken for extra points; keep in mind that raising it above the one-point level makes it difficult (if not impossible) to work regularly with other Cast Members who happen to be, say, vampires with souls, or spiny faced half-demons, or green skinned singing demons, or . . . Demon/Half-Demon VARIABLE QUALITY Your character is not human, but belongs to one of the hundreds (thousands?) of transdimensional species that inhabit the various hell-realms. Or maybe he is part of those weakened, hybrid demon races that stayed on Earth when the True Demons were disposed. Perhaps he's just a mixed (and mixed-up) child - the offspring of a demon and a human (no, we are not going into details, let's just say it happens and leave it at that). Whatever the case, these types always seem to find Los Angeles (or the town in your Series) irresistible. No set cost can be given for this Quality because no two demons are the same. Some are stronger than a horse and uglier than a platypus (no offense to the platypus). Others are as strong as a platypus and uglier than a horse (if they're rich, that could be overlooked). Many have a variety of special powers (and a bunch of problems too). Each demonic "species" has its own point value, determined by the sum of their bonuses and penalties. Rules for creating demon species from scratch are presented in a separate section. Demon/Half Demon (Byblos) 13-POINT QUALITY The Byblos are commonly known as the Librarians; living databases that never forget data they've assimilated. They prefer to observe and learn rather than do anything, and they rarely get involved in any conflict, for good or ill. Byblos half-demons are identical in shape and powers, but tend to be less obsessed with knowledge and have the full range of human emotions - both positive and negative, which means a Byblos half demon is more likely to use his knowledge, but not necessarily with good intentions. Their natural form is a faceless, jet-black humanoid that appears to be made of solid darkness, but they can assume a human shape at will, usually a slight, skinny form. The half-demon variety has a natural human form, but they can also shift into demon form (most choose not to). These folks are not particularly strong, but are surprisingly resilient. Byblos gain a +5 bonus to Intelligence, five levels of Hard to Kill, and one level of Increased Life Points. They also have the two-point Photographic Memory Quality. The Demon (Byblos) Quality totals 13 points. Demonic Tutor 2-POINT DRAWBACK With enough trickery and lies, a young magician can be convinced to become the pawn of a demon. The bad beastie looks for a youngster with great magical potential and attempts to turn her into a willing thrall. Being a creature of lies and deception, the demon usually tries to find some way to trick or coerce its student into performing progressively more questionable acts. In time, it claims that the magician is irrevocably evil and has no choice but to continue on this path. Once the dead bodies start piling up, some are so distraught that they break down or commit suicide. Although its corruptee isn’t available to manipulate anymore, this may be just what the demon sought. Others attempt to leave or to turn on their teacher. Fighting the demon’s demands is difficult, since it surreptitiously makes a pact with anyone it teaches. This pact prevents the character from attacking the demon and allows the demon to walk though any wards that she attempts to erect against it. Characters who submit to the demon’s demands and willingly work evil are not suitable Heroes or White Hats. On the other hand, a Cast Member who struggles against the demands of her dark master is an excellent roleplaying hook. Your character might know her teacher’s true nature and be fighting against its demands, but she is afraid for her life, or even that her friends will shun her if the truth comes out. Though a more complex challenge, it’s best if the Cast Member is unaware of her teacher’s true nature. Pulling this off requires you to separate out-of-game knowledge from what your character knows. That can be difficult to play convincingly. Furthermore, if the other players know what’s going on, they too must join in with the voluntary ignorance. Otherwise, your Director must keep this Drawback from you and introduce the new teacher during the course of play. That means you don’t get to spend the resulting Drawback points. Once your character clues in, the Drawback is revealed and the points may finally be used. Dependent 2- OR 3-POINT DRAWBACK Your character has a relative or someone who is close to her—perfect for the villains to terrorize, hold hostage or otherwise use and abuse. Joyce Summers and the earlier season versions of Dawn are perfect examples of Dependents. If your character has one Dependent, she gets two points. More than one Dependent is worth three points—sorry, five siblings may be a bunch, but they just don’t give you any more points. Dimensional Travel NPC Demons were banished from Earth a long time ago. Though many have settled back on our world and now hide in crypts and sewers, there are many more who still dwell in their own extra-dimensional realm. Being from "way out of town" keeps the demons safe from hunters, Slayers, Witches, and other types of predators. It also means that the only way these demons can get to our world is by being summoned here. One way to get around that is for a demon to come to Earth under its own power. These are the dimensional travelers. Demons with this power can create a temporary gateway between dimensions that usually manifests as a whirling dark vortex where there used to be a wall or a floor. These demons tend to be the more intelligent of their breed and often possess Sorcery as well. Disembody NPC This nasty can turn its body into some kind of amorphous mass. Whether fog, a swarm of insects, a cloud of darkness, or even purple Jell-O, this is very useful for slipping under doors, floating out windows, and scaping bodily harm. Now, this ability doesn't convey any special protection from harm (though it is kind of hard to get a good whack on fog); that is covered by Invulnerability or Resistance. Navigation * Back To Contents * Previous Chapter * Next Chapter Category:Rules